1. PAN AMERICAN NETWORK OF COLLABORATING AND REFERENCE CENTERS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Preparatory Meeting Cuernavaca, Morelos. México January 19-20, 2006

2. Organización Panamericana de la Salud 2 “Managerial Strategy for the Work of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau for the period 2003-2007” improving the Secretariat’s ability to stimulate action at country level, focusing attention on those priorities where greater impact is urgently needed. Empowering staff to be more creative in the design and implementation of PAHO´s technical cooperation.

3. Organización Panamericana de la Salud 3 PAHO´s organizational corporate objectives for change “the office will be recognized as the Region’s primary source of health information and there will be increased networking and sharing of knowledge inside the Organization and between the Organization and its national partners”.

4. Organización Panamericana de la Salud 4 PAHO´s organizational corporate objectives for change “Priorities will be addressed through innovative technical cooperation approaches and strategic management of the Secretariat’s resources, underlining the importance of horizontal cooperation among countries as a key expression of Pan Americanism”.

5. Organización Panamericana de la Salud 5 Regional Meeting of Collaborating and Reference Centers on Environmental Health Risk Assessment, Brasilia, Brazil, december of 2003 PAHO will continue to stimulate shared work between national centers, as means to add greater value on specific topics in specific geographic areas.

6. Organización Panamericana de la Salud 6 Regional Meeting of Collaborating and Reference Centers on Environmental Health Risk Assessment, Brasilia, Brazil, December of 2003, the role of the collaborating and reference centers is crucial to open more strategic and complementary spaces for technical cooperation opportunities at both regional and subregional level. These should be done through increasingly integrated work modalities, fostering the creation of more efficient and effective co-managed networks.

7. Organización Panamericana de la Salud 7 Regional Meeting of Collaborating and Reference Centers on Environmental Health Risk Assessment, Brasilia, Brazil, December of 2003, PAHO´s collaborating and reference centers networks could perform an expanded strategic role, enhancing the Organization capacity on scientific and technical aspects in key areas such as: information sharing, multicenter research projects, assessments and monitoring, capacity-building, human resources development, direct consultancy to countries.

8. Organización Panamericana de la Salud 8 Meetings of Collaborating Centers on Health Promotion Health promoting schools. Puerto Rico, 2004 Healthy housing centers. Peru, 2005 Healthy municipalities centers. Peru, 2005

9. Organización Panamericana de la Salud 9 THEMEDESIGNATEDIN PROCESSTOTAL Occupational Health11718 Tobacco404 Environmental Epidemiology718 Water101 Violence707 Health Promotion4711 Healthy Municipalities257 Health Promoting Schools1910 Healthy Housing213 TOTAL393069 WHO Collaborating Centers by theme, designated and in process

10. Organización Panamericana de la Salud 10 WHO Collaborating Centers by country, designated and in process COUNTRYDESIGNATEDIN PROCESSTOTAL Argentina022 Bolivia112 Brasil347 Canada9211 Chile224 Colombia235 Costa Rica101 Cuba235 España011 Mexico314 Nicaragua|011 Peru033 Puerto Rico011 Uruguay022 USA16319 Venezuela011 TOTAL393069

11. Organización Panamericana de la Salud 11 Objective To create the Pan American Network of Collaborating and Reference Centers for Sustainable Development and Environmental Health as an autonomous and complementary mechanism of PAHO´s technical cooperation, in compliance with the goals and results envisioned in SDE programs at the regional, subregional and country levels.

12. Organización Panamericana de la Salud 12 Composition of the Network The Network will be comprised by Collaborating Centers designated by WHO and Reference Centers selected by PAHO (academic, service and civil society institutions at national and subregional levels) with a potential of becoming international benchmarks in the various topics under SDE’s technical competence.

13. Organización Panamericana de la Salud 13 Essential functions of the Network To incorporate SDE priorities in technical, political and public agendas at the national subregional and regional levels. To collect, organize, analyze, disseminate and publish scientific and technical information. To develop and adapt methodologies and instruments for the assessment and analysis on: environmental risks, consumer patterns, lifestyles and healthy environments.

14. Organización Panamericana de la Salud 14 Essential functions of the Network To develop and adapt methodologies and instruments related to advocacy, marketing and social communication – appropriate to regional context To train human resources and develop educational programs To take part in shared research programs.

15. Organización Panamericana de la Salud 15 Essential functions of the Network To provide consultancy services on scientific and technical topics related to policy making. To provide direct technical cooperation to member countries. To organize technical forums and facilitate the exchange of knowledge. To mobilize complementary resources for the self-financing of the Network and other projects related to technical cooperation.

16. Organización Panamericana de la Salud 16 Strategies  The Network should be at the same time plural and a convergent mechanism. The Network should be an autonomous effort, technically supported by PAHO and other stakeholders The Network should foster collective work, creating appropriate opportunities for an exchange of experiences, both virtual and face to face.

17. Organización Panamericana de la Salud 17 Strategies  Membership be based on technical criteria and in response to proposals submitted by the countries. The Network’s everyday operation should be the responsibility of the participating centers with the support of PAHO and other stakeholders. The Network should be able to incorporate other international scientific agencies and associations as support institutions.

18. Organización Panamericana de la Salud 18 Strategies PAHO (in particular PWR) officers should become important liaisons with the Network Special attention should be paid to the needs and requests submitted by priority countries, particularly in topics related to the Unfinished Agenda and the Millennium Development Goals. The reference institutions taking part in the Network should be designated for a four-year period and should be periodically evaluated.

19. Organización Panamericana de la Salud 19 Strategies The reference institutions taking part in the Network in due time may be proposed for becoming WHO collaborating centers  The Network’s products should be reflected in the Biannual Programs and Budgets (BPB)s

20. Organización Panamericana de la Salud 20 Financing of the Network  In the short term, PAHO will provide “seed funds” for the development of the Network.  TCC and extra-budgetary funds will be encouraged.  In the mid-term, the Network –with the support of the participating countries, other stakeholders and PAHO– should mobilize its own resources.

21. Organización Panamericana de la Salud 21 Criteria for the selection of reference institutions to participate in the Network Scientific and technical production Relevance and leadership at national and international levels Contributions and commitment to sustainable development Stability in human, financial and technological resources and/or potential for growth Willingness in contributing to the compliance of PAHO´s and priorities Willingness to participate as providers of technical cooperation to member countries

22. Organización Panamericana de la Salud 22 Priority themes to guide the work of the Network Health promotion Health determinants Education for health Social communication Communication of risks Health promoting schools and universities Monitoring of risk and protection practices and factors Healthy municipalities, cities and communities Urban health Local development Social and citizen participation Healthy housing Basic sanitation Environmental Health and Children Workers’ Health Tobacco Sanitary monitoring Consumer health Violence Chemical safety Road safety Food security

23. Organización Panamericana de la Salud 23 Future steps Finalize technical documents and criteria for the selection of Reference Centers Prepare a detailed budget, including a proposal for the creation of two funds: research and publications Organize and carry out the Second Meeting of SDE Collaborating and Reference Centers Include the work proposals of the Collaborating and Reference Centers in the 2006 – 2007 BPB